Trip Insurance help

[doolange]

I am booked for a cruise this August with my 3 children. The trip will cost about $7,500. I am considering getting travel insurance more for remote change we need to cancel. I went to insuremytrip.com and I am so confused. What exactly am I looking for? I am 36 yrs. old, my husband is 38 so I think we are in pretty good health. Medically, I need to call Oxford and ask if I would be covered. Other than that, what am I looking for in insurance. The price and plans are all so different. Help!1

[GaryWT]

That is where I went, I just look for something that will cover the cost of the trip, transport me to the next port if boat is missed, give cash if luggage is lost, transport off the ship if sick and cover about 25 or 50K medical.

 

For 5 of us, $6,000 cost I think it was about $220.

[hdawson]

Doolange. As for age, I had my first heart-attack at age 36, so things can happen at any age. When you check with Oxford ask if there is a limit on medi-vac. The cost begins at about 15,000 and goes up depending on attending nurse, etc. Neither the ship or foreign providers accept assignment from a medical insurance company in the US. Payment is due at time of treatment/care. You may have elderly family not traveling with you that could become ill or die and need to discontinue (or cancel) the cruise and rush home to care for them. Most travel insurance will reimburse you for those expenses as well as the portion of your cruise that you missed. Oxford wouldn't. Can you imagine the air tickets without advance purchase from Aruba? Or if one of you is hospitalized in a foreign country and you have hotel and living expenses? Just a few things to consider.

[Dorothy]

1. Cost that covers the amount of the trip in case of cancellation.

2. Cover lost luggage.

3. Missed connections coverage.

4. Medivac (Helicopter, etc.) This is very expensive if necessary. I would be sure to have $15K-$20K in coverage.

5. Rental car insurance, if you plan to rent a car. Check with your credit card company first. Many times, they cover rental car insurance if you charge the rental to the card.

6. Medical expenses, of course, in case anyone gets sick. Keep in mind, you usually pay the doctors upfront and get reimbursement when you submit your claim. (You may not think this is necessary, but things do occasionally happen. I broke out in terrible hives once and needed a shot. It wasn't a fortune, but it was an unplanned expense)

7. I noticed a new clause, which has to do with war or terrorist activity. Some companies will cover for this type of cancellation and others do not.

[DON M.]

I am booked for a cruise this August with my 3 children. The trip will cost about $7,500. I am considering getting travel insurance more for remote change we need to cancel. I went to insuremytrip.com and I am so confused. What exactly am I looking for? I am 36 yrs. old, my husband is 38 so I think we are in pretty good health. Medically, I need to call Oxford and ask if I would be covered. Other than that, what am I looking for in insurance. The price and plans are all so different. Help!1

When it comes to the important things, trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage, the most important things to me, most of the companies on that website are very similar. Iam chossing a company for a July cruise that has an A- RATING and offers the most in lost luggaage ($1500). Usually the more you pay, the more coverage you may get on things you might not feel you need or want to pay for.

[UNCle Don]

I've used insuremytrip.com as others have and have used different companies for different trips because of different features being important. One thing not mentioned so far here is the possibility of insuring against bankruptcy by the cruise line. Unlikely, I suppose, but I was among many who had paid for a future cruise with Renaissance when it went belly up. I had charged the total costs to my credit card just over 60 days before Ren went broke and felt relieved that I had third party insurance that included a bankruptcy clause. The insurance company required that I contact my credit card company before they would pay. I did so, with a complete explanation of the situation, and my credit card company paid anyway. I don't know why, but it took the insurance company off the hook. The Ren cruise critic board had many threads from others in the same boat (so to speak); some fared well; others were still waiting and hoping the last I heard.

Cheers,

UNCle Don

[beachchick]

And don't forget medical evacuation/transport. Even if your insurance covers you, you will have to guarantee payment up front. Also, if you have a deductable (say 20%) that can add up pretty quickly on a $50,000 evacuation. Yes, it's horrible to have to think about this, but anyone of any age can fall victim to an accident--particularly if you are trying new activities. It's not likely to happen, but it's better to be covered.

 

beachchick

[wanderlustkc]

Check to see how long you have after booking your cruise to be covered for pre-existing conditions. Different companies have different conditions on how soon you must purchase coverage after booking your trip.

 

Also remember, you can only cancel for one of covered reasons to be able to collect insurance. With that said, I always recommend insurance be purchased whenever a trip is paid in full before departure.

[stillfrantic]

Our health insurance will pay foreign claims, but will not pay for medical evacuation, so I concentrate on that portion. No way would one of my children have an apendectomy in Haiti or some small Caribbean hospital.

 

We are also a family of 5 paying about the same amount for a cruise in August! I picked Travelex through Insuremytrip.com. I just pulled out my paperwork. The policy cost $171. It pays in full for trip cancellation. 150% for interuption, $50K for medical evacuation(this includes medical services so if your primary insurance doesn't pay out of country, you'd need more in this area)

 

I bought this policy at the same time I reserved the trip so it covers pre existing conditions also. If you buy it later it does not include that coverage.

[doolange]

Thank you everyone for such great answers!! I know that anything can happen at anytime. Mainly it is the med evac that is the part I want covered. If my luggage is lost, I could always replace the clothes. I live 1/2 hr. from the port. My brother was on a cruise last August and his sitter got the stomach bug. They basically told her that she could not leave her room for the remainder of the cruise (6 days). She flew home at the next port. (My brother didn't even know she was leaving). When my brother tried to get reimbursed, they didn't want to pay because of some small print. He had to pay $800 to get her home, and she was supposed to be in the room with 2 of his 4 kids, he didn't get reimbursed for the cruise part either. What a nightmare. I just want to be sure I am covered if for some reason we had to leave. The price ranges were all over the place and each one I read was slightly different. I guess this is where you have to just keep reading the fine print!!